The great Ethan Coen makes his long awaited directorial return with this comedy action movie, co-written with his wife, Tricia Cooke, rather than his brother. It is set in 1999 and Jamie (Margaret Qualley) has just broken up with her girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein). She needs to get away, so she goes on a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida with her strait-laced friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan). They rent a car, little knowing that the boot contains something that a group of gangsters want.
With the madcap trailer and an 85 minute running time, I was expecting a tight, zippy comedy. In that respect it is a disappointment. There are quite a few funny gags and all of the cast is great, particularly Viswanathan and an underused Feldstein. There is even an amusing cameo from Matt Damon.
However, the film feels really baggy. More could have been made of the farcical situation that Jamie and Marian find themselves in, as well as an increased role for Sukie. Instead we get a number of pointless psychedelic interludes and flashbacks to Marian’s childhood that add nothing to the story. The time spent on Marian’s lack of a love life also seems excessive when there are so many comic possibilities with the rest of the plot.
Not a disaster, but frustrating, and an indication that Ethan needs to give Joel a call before planning his next movie!
Rating: 5.5 out of 10